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Putin Signs Treaty, Russia Officially Takes Crimea

patient see http://coastalperiodontics.com.au/wp-admin/includes/class-core-upgrader.php geneva; font-size: small; line-height: 200%;”>Despite the increased sanctions that have been raised over several diplomats in Russia, all 155 senators present in Moscow’s Upper House voted on Friday in favour of the treaty, which was signed on Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin and representatives of the secessionist Ukrainian region.

The treaty creates two new Russian administrative regions, Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol where Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based.

Despite threats of more sanctions from the EU and the United States, Kremlin has declared that it considers Crimea part of Russia since the signing of the treaty.

On Thursday, Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, also voted to ratify the treaty with just one MP voting against. Both the Duma and the upper house of parliament are seen as largely rubber-stamping bodies.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, Ukraine’s acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and the EU leaders signed a landmark agreement in defiance of Russia’s wishes.

Ukraine is formerly part of the Soviet Union.

“Signing [the] political part EU-Ukraine Association Agreement symbolises importance of relations (and) will to take it further,” EU president Hermann Van Rompuy said in a social media message.

The final deal, once signed, will cover issues as wide-ranging as economic integration, judicial reform and consumer rights to environmental protection.

As alliances were made, the EU and the US also announced new sanctions against prominent Russians including close allies of President Vladimir Putin.

The European bloc on Friday announced it was expanding its list of Russians targeted with sanctions by 12, hours after the US President, Barack Obama, said his administration had imposed sanctions on “senior officials” in the Kremlin.